Guns of the Silver Screen: V21N6

By Kyle Shea

Eraser: Congratulations, You've Just Been Erased

The Calico Rifle is one of the most futuristic-looking weapons on the market. Manufactured by Calico Light Weapons Inc. (CLWS), it looks like a prop gun from Star Wars. In fact, in the parody of that film, Space Balls, the enemy soldiers are equipped with Calico 100s. They have been used in other films as well, including the Robocop series, Star Trek: First Contact, The Running Man, Tango & Cash and Total Recall. In 1991, some M951 Calico 9x19mm rifles were used in the opening battle scene of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. They were covered with a movie prop clamshell to make them look more futuristic. Calico 9mm pistols and some SMGs were also used.

Five years later, the same Calico rifles were used in another movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film is called Eraser. It also stars James Caan, Vanessa L. Williams and the late Robert Pastorelli. In the film, Schwarzenegger plays John Kruger, a U.S. Marshal who works on faking the deaths of important witnesses, then giving them new identities to keep them safe. In short, he erases them. His job in the film is to protect Vanessa Williams’ character from a corrupt weapons company that plans on making black market sales of futuristic railguns that can be used by individual gunmen.

The Calico M951 guns were used by security guards that were sent after John Kruger when he snuck into the manufacturer’s office to learn the company’s plan. The guns are equipped with Aimpoint 3000 optics, as well as lasers, though we don’t see them used in the movie. The scene becomes very entertaining when an elevator full of guards starts shooting at John Kruger. John quickly grabs another guard and uses him as a shield. He then straps a grenade to the guard, pulls the pin and pushes him into the elevator, causing an explosion that takes out the other guards.

CLWS first opened its doors in 1982 and produced its first firearms in 1985. The company is currently located in Oregon and produces both carbines and...

This article first appeared in Small Arms Review V21N6 (July 2017)and was posted online on May 19, 2017